As a teacher, one of my most critical roles is to help my students experience success, no matter what their strengths, challenges, and interests are. One way I can do this is to truly get to know my students. I make a conscious effort to get to know my students a little better each and every day. Another way I can do this is to anticipate possible difficulties within a particular lesson and plan accordingly, to help my students experience success.
While visiting the website, http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/101042/chapters/Template-2@-Curriculum-Barriers.aspx , I came to an important realization. The website says, "Traditional curriculum materials (such as textbooks, workbooks, and chapter-end questions) and traditional techniques (such as lecturing, writing on the board, and seatwork) pose barriers for some students, limiting their engagement and learning. Newer approaches using computers and the Internet can also be troublesome for some students and need to be thoughtfully applied." It's important to realize that just because you're using a new, high-tech strategy, doesn't necessarily mean it will work for your student. It's important to test different strategies and see what helps your student tap into his/her strengths, challenges, and interests the most.
Below is a chart that I made that includes materials and methods, student qualities, as well as potential barriers and missed opportunities. This chart could help me make adaptations to my lesson plan and prevent my students from becoming frustrated or developing a negative attitude toward a certain lesson or activity.
Grade: 2
Subject: Science
Standard: 3.2.2.B7 Use simple equipment (tools and other
technologies) to gather data and understand that this allows scientists to
collect more information than relying only on their senses to gather
information.
Goal: Students
will use materials to build an equal arm balance. They will use the equal arm
balance to compare the weights of six different objects and arrange them in
serial order, from the lightest object to the heaviest object. Students will
create a poster and arrange pictures of objects in serial order.
I completely agree with your comment about "It's important to realize that just because you're using a new, high-tech strategy, doesn't necessarily mean it will work for your student." Since technology is a popular material in the school districts one can argue the point that yes it is good to incorporate technology into lesson and activities, it keeps you in the 21st and your students as well. I have seen teachers plan an awesome lesson about how they are going to use a Smartboard to teach something. When it comes time for the lesson the smartboard doesn't work, its not aligned or something is not working right. There are teachers that rely so heavily on their technology that they do not realize that it may not work or their may be a 'barrier' when it comes to using it. It is always best to look at the materials closely and imagine what could go wrong or what amy not work and find a way to change the instruction or activity to fit all students needs.
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